Been a while since we had a fun one, but the vibes may have turned. Patrick Corbin does not look like the answer to their rotation problems, but just about everyone else did their job. The offence was undaunted by a four run hole, racking up nine extra base hits (14 total) against just four strikeouts. The bullpen looked like they benefited greatly from a day’s rest, combining for five innings of one hit relief while picking up nine punch outs.
It was a rough welcome back to the show for Patrick Corbin.
He got Byron Buxton to pop out to open the game, but then Austim Martin and Luke Keaschall singled to set the table for Ryan Jeffers’ first home run of the year to stake Minnesota to an early 3-0 lead. Things did improve a bit from there for Corbin. He walked the next batter but got a strikeout to end the inning. He hit Brooks Lee in the second, but limited the damage there. In the third, he managed to strand a single and another hit batter. Brooks Lee chipped in the Twins’ fourth run on a solo shot to lead off the fourth, and Austin Martin would double later in the inning, but Corbin also got a pair of strikeouts and held it to 4-0. Four innings was all he’d manage. A 9.00 ERA is bad, no way to spin it, but they needed a guy to take the ball and he managed that. If you want to hunt for a source of optimism, his 9 swinging strikes on 85 pitches suggest his breaking balls can still miss some MLB bats.
Meanwhile, the Jays took three innings to get used to Simeon Woods Richardson, failing to score a Daulton Varsho one out double in the first and going in order in the second. A George Springer walk in the third was also left on. Finally, in the fourth, the floodgates opened. Vlad ripped a double to centre, Jesus Sanchez followed with one of his own to put Toronto on the board, one out later Davis Schneider chipped in the third double of the inning to plate Sanchez, and an Andres Gimenez ground single brought them within one. Brandon Valenzuela launched his first big league home run, a line shot 383 feet to right, to put them ahead 5-4.
Tommy Nance faced the first three batters in the fifth, getting a strikeout and a ground out but allowing a ground ball single. Joe Mantiply cleaned up by coming on to strike out Matt Wallner. The Jays continued to score in the bottom half against reliever Anthony Banda. Daulton Varsho his his first homer of the year, 405 feet to right-centre.
Mantiply struck out the first two Twins in the sixth, while Louis Varland got his man to finish striking out the side. Schneider worked a walk off Banda, then scored on an Ernie Clement line double, extending the Jays’ lead to three. Two batters later, Springer’s fourth double cashed Clement to make it four.
Varland walked Austin Martin in the seventh, but a ground out and a double play ball retired the Twins. For the Jays, Vlad singled, stole second, and scored on a Schneider single.
They kept rolling in the eighth. Braydon Fisher hit lead off man Jeffers, but a ground out and a pair of K’s retired Minnesota without them scoring. Brandon Valenzuela picked up his second hit on an infield single off new reliever Justin Topa, and two outs later Vlad crushed a 116mph ball over Austin Martin’s head and off the left field wall to cash Valenzuela and put the Jays in double digits.
Fisher stayed in to handle the ninth, getting a ground out and his third and fourth Ks to wrap it up.
Jays of the Day: Team effort today. Valenzuela (0.23) and Schneider (0.12) have the number, but two hits including a homer and three hits (two doubles) and a stolen base earn Varsho and Guerrero nods
Not So Much: Corbin (-0.23)
It’s an afternoon game tomorrow, first pitch at 3:07pm ET. Ace Joe Ryan (1-1, 4.40) will go for the Twins, while the Blue Jays will turn to Eric Lauer (1-1, 4.91).
